Mountains

We may pick a specific topic and post in advance or may discuss current events and various ad hoc topics . We would love to spend time hanging out and getting to know one another. Atheist, agnostics, other non-theists, and atheist-friendly people are welcome to join us. Note: COUNT operates a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/groups/COUNT.discussions (http://www.facebook.com/groups/COUNT.discussions/) to promote discussions among members and visitors.

We will do around 3.5 miles on the paved trail. Toni will be leading at the front - around 16 minute mile - and I’ll be bringing up the rear closer to a 19 minute mile (or as appropriate). No one left behind. Optional lunch at Paddock Pub.

Inspired by the successful events like "Pot Luck in the Park" and "Saturday Mornings @ East Market," this meetup promises a fun and engaging atmosphere where like-minded individuals can connect over a shared love for languages and cultures. Whether you're a language learner, ESL student, or simply passionate about exploring new cultures, this event is perfect for anyone looking to immerse themselves in a diverse and welcoming community. Come join us for an enlightening evening of language, culture, food, of course, and connections! (Everyone will choose from the menu and pay individually)

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/a/9/6/600_348310902.jpeg Instructor - Crow, HPS Class fee is $30 at the door or approved exchange RSVP with Advance pay of $25 (discounted) by PayPal on the web or by contacting Enchanted Elements (614) 437-2642. Reservations made directly to Enchanted Elements will be added to the class list manually not online. Private Instruction ~ Closed to the Public ~ Initiated Members Only Please come prepared for ritual. Blessings ~ Crow

**How to take control of your subconscious and harness its power!** Join us for an eye-opening lecture where the speaker will break down complex ideas in a clear and practical way. You’ll gain insights into: ✅ The true definition of the subconscious ✅ How it generates unwanted emotions ✅ Its real purpose and function ✅ What determines the pressure it exerts on you And the most important topic: **How do you take control of your subconscious!** But this isn’t just another lecture where you sit and listen passively. It’s interactive and engaging—you can ask questions at any time. 📅 Reserve your spot now! Seats are limited, so don’t wait too long to sign up. Location: 1266 Dublin Rd, Columbus, OH 43215 Hosted by the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation

Early-bird coffee and conversation at [Java Central Café and Roaster](https://javacentral.coffee/)**!**

Join Sacred Sound Alchemy Columbus for a transformative Sound Bath experience that will take you on a journey of self-discovery and healing. Immerse yourself in the powerful vibrations of various sound instruments like crystal singing bowls and rain drums, carefully orchestrated to balance your chakras and uplift your spirit. The soothing sounds will help you release negative energy, reduce stress, and promote deep relaxation. This event is perfect for those seeking a moment of tranquility and a chance to connect with their inner selves. Whether you are new to sound healing or a seasoned practitioner, you will benefit from the harmonious frequencies that will resonate with your body and soul. Come and allow yourself to be enveloped in a wave of healing energy, leaving you refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready for life's next chapter. Please bring something comfortable to lay on like a yoga mat. Being a pillow for your head or for under your knees and a blanket to cover over yourou. The library can get cold. Bring some water to help flush your body for after the session.

Mental Health, how do you understand it? How can you improve it? How do you get rid of stress, anxiety and uncertainty? These emotions are buried deep in your reactive mind. Find out what the reactive mind is, and in the process find yourself. Have you ever suffered from a traumatic experience, a deep loss or been through a painful breakup? Has your ability to communicate suffered as a result? And after that, even though you "moved on" did you find that things were never quite the same? Have you ever looked at childhood photos, or reminisced your early life and wondered where that happiness and spark went? Are your emotions out of your own control? Have you ever felt, even if you aren’t aware of it, that possibly you are getting in your own way of your happiness and success? How does this affect your self-confidence? Find out what is at the root of all stress, anxiety, depression and self-doubt. Find out how and why you hold yourself back from achieving your goals and having the life you have dreamed of. As soon as you learn what is at the root of these unwanted conditions, you’ll see it is something you can DO something about. You will not be labeled or categorized at this MeetUp. This group is hosted by the Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

Join us for an evening of great conversation over pizza!
 Relaxed, family-owned pizzeria offering familiar pies along with wings, sandwiches & salads. Hope to see you there!

Join us at Highbanks for sledding, snacks, hot cocoa, and nature 🛷🌲🌈 Bring your own sled. No snow? We’ll enjoy the nearby trails together instead. This event is dog and kid-friendly and accessible to wheeled aids. [Please register here for more details closer to the event ](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScn3P7WpBONMJXiL6v_KrVGj688NLtmeUl81rIMt_6GHe8jEQ/viewform?usp=preview)

Join us for a casual chat over coffee & tea at Grandview Grind! Come out and meet some new people, enjoy your favorite drink, and make some new friends!

Come assist Van Buren Shelter (https://ymcacolumbus.org/locations/vanburen) staff in serving dinners and cleaning up on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Dinner for the women is 5-6 pm and for the families is 6:15-7:15 pm. There is ample free parking available in the shelter's lot. The recommended area to park is in green in the image above. There will be a new entrance for the time being. We are asking all volunteers to enter through the Donation Dock door, the orange mark on the image above. This door is located between the Single Adults and Family Shelter. You will see 2 large garage doors with a large green trash compactor in the center. Please head to the closest garage door to the building wall, with a ramp leading up. There, you will see a door with a sign stating instructions on how to enter the building. Please ring the doorbell, and a staff member will come and escort you into the building. If a staff member takes longer than 5 minutes, please call the front desk at 614-689-2020. This is a new process for us, and we do not want to keep you waiting! We appreciate your patience as we navigate this temporary change. The shelter needs a volunteer count the day before the event so sign-up ends Monday at 4:50 PM. Afterwards some of us go to the Omnipresent Atheists Weekly Meetup in progress to have a bit to eat or drink (http://www.meetup.com/omnipresentatheists/). Volunteers must be 14 or older. Since we will be working around families, the YMCA does not permit volunteering by individuals with convictions for violent or sexual crimes. The YMCA reserves the right to run background checks on volunteers. For questions, comment on this page or contact: Andrew, awhit12@yahoo.com, (614)937-5802 (cell). Please let Andrew know if you volunteer anytime other than our COUNT events so that he can count your hours toward our service record.

**History** [Blacklick Woods Metro Park](https://www.metroparks.net/parks-and-trails/blacklick-woods/), established in 1949, holds the distinction of being the first Columbus Metro Park. Its creation stemmed from a post-World War II push to preserve natural areas amid rapid suburban growth. The land, originally farmland and woodlots along Blacklick Creek, was acquired by the Columbus Metropolitan Park Board through donations and purchases. Early efforts focused on basic trail development and reforestation to combat erosion. The park's name derives from the creek, which early settlers called "Black Lick" due to its dark, mineral-rich waters. By the 1950s, it served as a model for the expanding Metro Parks system. In the 1960s, Blacklick Woods expanded significantly with additional land acquisitions, reaching over 600 acres. A golf course was added in 1964, one of the first public courses in the region, designed to generate revenue for park maintenance. Native American artifacts, including arrowheads from the Adena culture, were discovered during construction, highlighting the area's prehistoric use as hunting grounds. The park introduced interpretive programs to educate visitors on local ecology and history. Flood control measures along the creek became a priority after heavy rains caused damage. These developments solidified its role as a recreational hub. The 1970s and 1980s brought environmental awareness, leading to habitat restoration projects at Blacklick Woods. Invasive species were removed, and native wildflowers were planted in the meadows. A nature center opened in 1976, featuring exhibits on wetlands and forests. The park's slate-covered bridge, a remnant of 19th-century infrastructure, was preserved as a historic feature. Birdwatching gained popularity with the addition of observation decks. Community volunteers played a key role in trail maintenance and cleanups. During the 1990s, Blacklick Woods underwent major upgrades, including paved multi-use trails for biking and hiking. The Walter A. Tucker Nature Preserve, a 53-acre old-growth forest within the park, was dedicated in 1995 to protect rare beech-maple woodlands. Educational partnerships with local schools introduced field trips on topics like stream ecology. The golf course was renovated to improve playability while minimizing environmental impact. Annual events, such as the fall festival, drew thousands to celebrate the park's natural beauty. These enhancements balanced recreation with conservation. In the 21st century, Blacklick Woods has adapted to increasing visitation with sustainable practices. Solar panels were installed at facilities in the 2010s to reduce energy costs. The park now spans 643 acres, offering diverse habitats from wetlands to uplands. Recent initiatives include pollinator gardens and prescribed burns to maintain prairie areas. It remains a flagship for the Metro Parks, inspiring similar preservations system-wide. Ongoing archaeological surveys continue to uncover traces of early inhabitants. **Map of the Park** Here is a [map of Blacklick Woods](https://www.metroparks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/BLK-map-May-2025-with-extended-greenway_1980px.jpg). **Summary** For this event, we will hike about 4.5 miles by doing a couple loops of the Buttonbush, Tucker, Maple Loop, and Beech trails. Blacklick Woods is a very nice park, but it is generally flat and not strenuous, so this will be one of the easier hikes that we do. **Where We'll Meet** Drive all the way to the back of the park to the parking lot that is nearest the Nature Center. There are restrooms here next to the Canopy Walk. We'll meet near these restrooms. Speaking of the [Canopy Walk](https://www.metroparks.net/blog/canopy-walk-is-your-gateway-to-the-sky/), it's not officially part of the event this time. However, if interested people want to freelance and check it out after the hike (before heading to the brewery), that's okay. **After the Hike** After we're done with the trails, we'll head to [Prost Beer & Wine Café](https://prostcafe.com/) for drinks and [food](https://prostcafe.com/reynoldsburg-prost-beer-and-wine-cafe-food-menu). The actual address of the brewery is [7354 E Main St, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068](https://www.google.com/maps/place/7354+E+Main+St,+Reynoldsburg,+OH+43068/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x8838648cfb8d2dbb:0x545274bab130e9bb?sa=X&ved=1t:242&ictx=111), and we should be there by 5:00 if you just want to do that and skip the hike.

***FREE TOUR TICKET FOR ALL OF YOU WONDERFUL MEETUP MEMBERS*** Use Promo Code **MEETUP2025** to get your free ticket and route smart guide at [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sol-in-columbus-oh-a-smart-guided-short-one-way-loop-bikeway-tour-tickets-769120860197](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sol-in-columbus-oh-a-smart-guided-short-one-way-loop-bikeway-tour-tickets-769120860197) You can do the tour solo/with your favorite peeps, or try to generate a group ride of Meetup CycleNuts by RSVPing here and posting the day and time you are interested in others joining you. Either way, have fun on your memory-making adventure, and thank you for being a CycleNut! ### SOL in Columbus, OH \- A Smart\-guided Short One\-way Loop Bikeway Tour Short One-way Loop (SOL) in Columbus on bikeways. The smart-guided tour is mostly through scenic riverside parks with a quick downtown peek. All of that in 10 miles! 83% of the route is bikeway, and the rest is Google Maps designated "bicycle-friendly roads". This short ride passes through several beautiful riverside parks. Passing through downtown the route runs alongside Huntington Park baseball stadium, Nationwide Arena hockey stadium, near North Market (worth a stop if you enjoy markets with lots of tasty treats), within a few blocks of the state capitol, convention center, art museum, center of science and industry, several first-class hotels, and much more (see Points of Interest list below). Easily, anywhere along the way, the tour can be detoured to nearby points of interest. This smart-guided route comes with CycleNuts' 50% downhill guarantee. Sweating is optional. If your bike has gears, you might use them to climb in a few spots. All bikes are appropriate for this smart-guided tour (even a single-speed if you do not mind walking your bike up the spots mentioned). The route is shaded about 50% of the way. Sweating is optional - you set your pace, starting time, and touring agenda. Points of interest: COSI Scioto River North Market German Village The Scioto Mile Brewery District Huntington Park Nationwide Arena Columbus Union Station Arch Greater Columbus Convention Center **The Meetup plan = Show up, Rally with whoever else shows up, and Roll following the smart-guided instructions.** This is a smart guided tour route that can be ridden any day or time, solo or with others. It is only posted with a repeating set time and date with a tour leader to fit the Meetup format, and, more importantly, to encourage you to get out and ride when it is convenient for you. **If you are going to ride it and would like the company of others, then simply RSVP and post in the comments when it is that you are going to ride - date and time.** Take pictures/videos and share. Have fun! ***This is a repeating event on the calendar***\*, but the date and time do not necessarily need to be what is posted. **If you are interested in riding with a group, then simply RSVP and leave a message in the comment section** giving the date and time you would like others to join you. If you are interested in riding by yourself or with your private group of friends, then simply do it.\* ***The mission of this format is to create a catalog*** *of free group tour routes available for CycleNuts to ride as a group, or solo, in an area spanning several states. **The goal is to get people out cycling** either in groups or solo. **The vision is a cycling community with resources** available for bike tours, bike talk, and a format for lives experienced at the speed of bike.*

Hike approx 4.0 miles at approx. 18 minute mile pace. Meet in front of the Nature Center.